Zendaya interview: Spiderman: Far From Home

“I doubted myself for a long time, particularly when you feel stagnant in your career and there’s a lot of people doubting that you can do it, you doubt yourself…But now I feel like I’m entering the next phase of my career and my life.”

Former Disney star Zendaya is reaching a career zenith – from securing blockbuster roles in the latest Spiderman installment, to taking risks with edgier, controversial material, while still remaining a role model for her legions of young fans.

SELECTED EXCERPTS

Q: You’ve given a lot of credit to your parents for providing you with a good education and set of values to live by?

ZENDAYA: My parents are educators and they’ve been a major influence on me. Teachers are very important figures in society despite being amongst the least-paid of any profession. They spend their lives dedicating themselves to helping young people learn about the world and about life in general.

Q: You’ve gained a huge social media following over the years. Are you very comfortable in the spotlight?

ZENDAYA: I feel I have an ability to connect with the public. I think people have gotten to know me and that gives me an opportunity to say to young people: “I like that, and since I like it you might also like it.” I love being able to share my success with my fans and it gives me a special feeling to know that a lot of people are as excited as I am about everything that’s been happening to me.

Q: Do you feel that you’re now entering that phase of your life and career that you’ve been aiming towards?

ZENDAYA: I can’t say that I had a specific plan on how I was going to get to this point but acting was something that I always knew I wanted to do. Ever since I was a little girl, I knew that this is what I saw myself doing in life. When it came to choosing projects, I was always willing to wait for the right one and I think my instincts were good!